The 5th PCZ Flowers U2100 Open Championship 2026 will take place in Livingstone, Zambia, December 24–26, 2026. The three-day tournament offers nine rounds of FIDE-rated standard chess. Project Chess Zambia organizes the competition in partnership with Red Arrow Chess Club. All games will take place at ZAF Banquet Hall.

The championship includes three rating divisions. Open A welcomes players rated 1900–2100, while Open B covers ratings from 1700 to 1899. In addition, the Combined Section brings together the Ladies category and participants rated up to 1699. This structure gives players several competitive pathways within a single event.

Players will use a 60-minute time control with a 30-second increment from the first move. The organizer has scheduled nine Swiss rounds across the holiday period. Furthermore, the tournament’s Chess-Results pages provide separate player lists, pairings and schedules for each division. The official records identify Jigyasu Dinodia as tournament director and FA Mary Mashane as chief arbiter.

📌 Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

Each participant receives 60 minutes for the game plus 30 seconds per move, starting with move one. All three sections follow the Swiss system over nine rounds. Accordingly, players meet a succession of opponents according to the tournament’s pairing procedure.

The organizers have registered the event for international standard rating calculation. The Chess-Results pages list the same core tournament settings across all sections. However, entrants should consult the official section schedule for their exact playing times.

🏆 Sections / Groups

Each section uses a nine-round Swiss tournament. Therefore, players should confirm their rating eligibility before submitting an entry. The section names and rating bands follow the organizer’s published Chess-Results records.

📅 Schedule

The competition period runs from December 24 to 26. All three divisions have nine scheduled rounds. For the exact pairing times, use the Chess-Results schedules linked in Event Details.

📝 Registration

Players should contact Project Chess Zambia or its event partner, Red Arrow Chess Club, for the current entry procedure. The organizer’s official tournament records provide the competition sections and playing arrangements. In particular, applicants should confirm their rating bracket before registering.

Players can also consult the Open A, Open B and Combined Section pages. Those listings provide official event information and will carry tournament updates.

♟️ Organizer

Project Chess Zambia organizes the championship with Red Arrow Chess Club. The organizing team is responsible for arranging this Livingstone event across the three playing sections. Meanwhile, Chess-Results lists the Chess Federation of Zambia as the uploader of the tournament records.

📍 Venue

The tournament will take place at ZAF Banquet Hall in Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia. The hall sits near Livingstone Central Police Station. It is also close to the Big Tree Bus Terminal and the local bus terminal, making it accessible from the city center.

The venue coordinates are approximately 17.84834° S, 25.86216° E. The mapped venue location identifies the specific banquet hall rather than a generic city-center point.

🏨 Accommodation

Livingstone offers several accommodation options for players attending the three-day competition. The following places appear in local listings near ZAF Banquet Hall. They are independent accommodation choices, not official tournament hotels. Therefore, visitors should confirm December 24–26 availability and the travel arrangements before booking.

Players who prefer a short journey to the hall can first compare properties in central Livingstone. Additionally, teams arriving together may benefit from arranging transport through their accommodation. Check room occupancy, breakfast hours and late check-in conditions directly with each property.

🚗 How to Get There

✈️ Arriving by Air

Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport serves Livingstone. Travelers arriving by air can arrange a taxi or an accommodation transfer to central Livingstone. The tournament venue lies near the city center and the central police station. As a result, a local driver can use ZAF Banquet Hall as the destination.

🚌 Arriving by Bus

Livingstone has intercity road links with other Zambian destinations. The Livingstone Local Bus Terminal is roughly 370 meters west of the hall. The nearby Big Tree Bus Terminal lies approximately 300 meters northwest. Therefore, visitors arriving at these terminals can arrange a short taxi ride or assess the walking route.

🚕 Local Transport and Navigation

Use ZAF Banquet Hall, Livingstone when arranging a taxi or pickup. The site is near Livingstone Central Police Station. Its mapped coordinates are -17.84834, 25.86216. However, participants should confirm the entrance with the organizer before their first round.

Travelers arriving from outside Zambia should also check passport and immigration requirements for their own nationality. Moreover, those crossing a land border should allow time for border formalities before continuing toward Livingstone.

ℹ️ Other Information

The official tournament records identify FA Mary Mashane as chief arbiter and Jigyasu Dinodia as tournament director. The competition uses international standard rating calculations. Finally, players should follow the three Chess-Results section pages for updated start lists, pairings and results.